Area residents, from left, Emory Bluhm, Lisa Pack and Ann Toepperwein question Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody after the Budget Town Hall event in Helotes on Aug. 14.
Aug. 14, 2025 – A measure is before Bexar County commissioners that would allow a wastewater plant and other infrastructure for the proposed Guajolote Ranch project of Lennar Corp. to be financed on the backs of homebuyers in the development for $138 million, while polluting the drinking water of 1.7 million people across multiple counties.
Area residents turned out in force to oppose the scheme, called a Public Improvement District, or PID, at a county Precinct 3 “Budget Town Hall” in Helotes hosted by County Judge Peter Sakai and Commissioner Grant Moody, as well as county staff. Many wore T-shirts in protest that read, “DON’T PIDDLE ON US,” in block blue letters except for “PID” in red.
The wastewater plant would release an average of 1 million gallons a day of treated sewage from 2,900 homes in the 1,100-acre development and into the Helotes Creek watershed, which provides 15% of the annual recharge of the Edwards Aquifer, the region’s principal water supply.
The PID would be allowed to issue bonds to pay for the plant, and impose new property taxes on those living in the development to pay it back. Unsuspecting homebuyers in Guajolote Ranch, many of them first-time, would pay higher property tax rates than others in the county – as much as city of San Antonio property tax rates but without the city’s level of police, fire and other municipal services.
As it is, a study by the Southwest Research Institute funded through the city of San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan found that any type of wastewater system releasing treated effluent from residential development into the Helotes Creek watershed would “significantly degrade” the quality of water recharging the aquifer. Essentially, the county would be authorizing public dollars to finance pollution, and for private profit.
The entire bipartisan state House delegation from Bexar County – all 10 legislators – signed a letter urging the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to reject the wastewater permit they called “dangerous, potentially disastrous,” with a decision expected next month. Will Bexar County commissioners follow their lead and reject the PID?
Here was selected media coverage of the town hall event:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdXDx95pAQ0&t=14s
KSAT-TV: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/08/14/residents-to-express-disapproval-over-guajolote-ranch-project-in-bexar-county-budget-town-hall/
Texas Public Radio (KSTX): https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2025-08-14/bexar-county-leaders-face-tough-questions-about-controversial-development-at-budget-town-hall-in-helotes
WOAI TV (News 4): https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/helotes-residents-rally-against-proposed-wastewater-plant-guajolote-ranch-project-pollution-drinking-water-commissioners-support-finance-project
KABB TV (Fox SA): https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/helotes-residents-rally-against-proposed-wastewater-plant-guajolote-ranch-project-pollution-drinking-water-commissioners-support-finance-project
For a complete overview of the PID, see: https://www.scenicloop.org/post/1621/did-you-think-only-tceq-needs-to-approve-guajolote-ranch-the-county-and-city-have-to-also/.
The Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) group representing the largest neighborhood by square mile recognized by the San Antonio Neighborhood & Housing Services Department, a wide corridor along Scenic Loop Road from Bandera Road to north of Babcock Road.
CONTACTS:
Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance
Randy Neumann, 210-867-2826, uhit@aol.com
Steve Lee, 210-415-2402, slee_78023@yahoo.com